The Trusteeship Council provides for an international trusteeship system for the administration and supervision of:
1. The territories placed under it by means of trusteeship agreements submitted by the administering powers and approved by the United Nations;
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2. The territories, held under the mandate system of the League of Nations, and territories detached from enemy States as a result of the Second World War; and
3. The territories voluntarily placed under the trusteeship system.
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The aims of the trusteeship system are fourfold:
(i) To further international peace and security;
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(ii) To promote advancement of the people and their development towards self- government or independence depending on the circumstances of each country, the freely expressed wishes of the people and the terms of each trusteeship agreement;
(iii) To encourage respect for basic human rights and the recognition of the interdependence of the people of the world
(iv) To ensure equal treatment for all members of the United Nations and equal treatment and justice for their nationals in social, economic and commercial matters so long as this does not conflict with the welfare of the inhabitants. The Trusteeship Council functions under the authority of the General Assembly.
The Council is composed of permanent members of the Security Council — China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, the United States, member-States which administer trust territories, and, finally, other States elected by the General Assembly in order to maintain equality of numbers between members who administer trust territories and those who do not.
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The Trusteeship Council must meet at least twice a year and the President is elected at each regular session. Each member-State of the Council has one vote, and all decisions are taken by a majority of the members present and voting.
Supervision over the administration of the trust territories is exercised by the General Assembly, but in reality it is carried on by the Trusteeship Council.
It receives reports from the administrations of trust territories, receives complaints and petitions from the peoples of the trust territories and examines them in consultation with the administering authority, makes annual inspections of the trust territories, and takes such actions as are in conformity with the terms of the trusteeship agreements.
The Council is also charged with the formulation of a questionnaire on the political, economic, social and educational advancement of the inhabitants of each trust territory within the competence of the General Assembly and is required to make an annual report to the General Assembly upon the basis of such a questionnaire.